On the writing side, it’s partly been lack of anything interesting worth writing about.  But the other big reason for lack of writing and reading is a distinct lack of time.

I’ve been trying out a new therapy for ME/CFS, and so far so good!

I’d read about an anti cancer treatment called Gerson Therapy, which had also had a lot of success with ME/CFS, so I spent a few weeks looking into it.  In the end I decided to give it a go and shelled out on a Norwalk juicer.

The juicer arrived and came with a book by it’s creator a Dr Norman Walker about the benefits of juices and raw foods.

After a quick trundle through it was obvious that the Gerson Therapy model was based on Dr Walker’s research and books.  It seemed pretty obvious to go straight to the source and start with Dr Walker’s suggestions.

It’s taken a bit of getting used to, and the juicing does take a fair amount of time for the amount of fresh, raw juices you’re supposed to drink, but since I’ve tried pretty much everything else without success, I didn’t have a lot to loose.

I’ve been on the full thing for just over 3 weeks, plus around 4 weeks prior to that slowly increasing the juices and decreasing the processed and cooked foods, and whilst the juicing is the only thing I’m managing to do and it is taking up most of my time still, I’m still feeling better in myself than I have done in over 6 years!

There also have to be some improvements in the fact that I’m managing to do all this juicing every week without ending up flat on my back barely able to move for days at a time afterwards, which is a very welcome change.

It’s had a few other positive benefits too, the skin rash I’ve been suffering from for the past 20 months after taking some antibiotics, has all but disappeared in the space of 3 weeks.  I’ve also lost a significant amount of weight.

I don’t normally gain weight as a rule, but after 6 years of barely moving, but still eating like a horse (particularly if it’s coated in chocolate!) I have gained about 2 stone (28lb) more than my standard weight, and even that is about a stone (14lb) more than my estimated ideal weight.  Apparently the juices help the body to normalise it’s weight without any dieting.  So far I’ve lost about a stone and a half (21lb) without having to do anything except eat and drink raw fruits and vegetables and plenty of seeds and nuts for protein.

With results like this in a few weeks, I’m looking forward to seeing what they’ll be like in the next 6 months or so.  It should be quite interesting to see.

So I guess stay tuned for updates.

I’m not sure if that’s a good thing…

Not to mention the heat, I’m pretty sure, as with must things, a sudden hot, burning sensation isn’t really a good sign…

Oh and it looks like I’ve got my wordpress fixed, yay me!

The starlings are the same this year, usually they would be running around after their parents screaming for food and attention, but this year they all seem so relaxed, paddling around the garden, hopping into the bird house for snack foods.  A couple of them even got taught how to have a bath by a sparrow.  Although I was a little too slow to get a photo of that one.

We have some very bizarre birds!

As for our neighbours…

Well, last year they complained that the birds were sitting on their fence and dirtying some of their plants, and the fact they were flying over their garden, and it appeared to be all our fault for encouraging them.

I can kind of see the point, sometimes the bird dirt can be a bit messy, but they’re wild birds, it’s not like we can stop them, not to mention we have a lot of bushes and trees in the area, so the birds all live locally, and the bird population seems to have done incredibly well the past couple of years as there are so many more all over, not just in our garden.

There’s also the issue that every other garden has feeders and bird tables in them, so it’s hardly just us, but that’s beside the point.

The next complaint was that the food might attract rats…

I checked that one and rats have no interest in bird seed, which is what they get, we never feed them scraps or any other kind of food which could appeal to rats.

We had a sneaky suspicion when we received a letter a couple of weeks later from the local council complaining of rats in the area that our neighbours were behind it, especially since we appeared to be the only house to get a letter and nobody has seen a rat in the area yet to my knowledge.

So now they’re not talking to us.

We said hello last weekend… Total blank.

With all the problems people can have with their neighbours, feeding the birds seems such a silly thing to fall out over, especially when you consider we’ve lived next door to each other for about 30 years.

Oh and in slightly connected news, we had a very unusual visitor to the garden yesterday, a little bird I’ve never seen before.  It certainly wasn’t in the slightest bit concerned about all the other much larger birds.  I’ve tried identifying it, but no luck so far.

I had my eye test on Tuesday, and my prescription is too strong, so it looks like the eye exercises have been working, and that was just after a week, so if I can keep going, a few more months and I might be off glasses and contact lenses completely!

I managed to kill the computer too.

Again.

I still have no idea what I managed to do, but  whatever it was it took out my main computer and  did something to the back-up drive, so I’ve spent the last couple of days reinstalling the computer and then having to copy all my files back from the laptop.

I still have no idea what I managed to do, but  whatever it was it took out my main computer and  did something to the back-up drive, so I’ve spent the last couple of days reinstalling the computer and then having to copy all my files back from the laptop.

Still, I’m just thankful that I now keep so many back-ups.

Now I just have to find a spare six hours or so to scan the back-up drive for errors and hope it can fix them.

Some days, computers just really don’t like me!

Still, I seem to be back up and running now.

I’m having all kinds of bother with my credit card too.  I can’t even give my money away it seems.

I’m wanting to make a big purchase so I asked if they would up my limit on my card for a month or two, and I got turned down

Now I could understand if I was a credit risk, but I already have over half the money in my bank account, and ever since getting the card I’ve had it paid off in full ( and on time) ever single month.

So now I’m having to try applying for another credit card to use, but of course they don’t tell you what the limit will be until after the application, which means they have to do a credit check, and then if the card isn’t suitable, it means another red flag to the next company I apply with as their credit check will show that I’ve already applied for credit within the past couple of days.

It’s just silly because you really just can’t win 

I seem to spend half my life not able to do things and the other half putting them off.  So no more!

So far in the last week I’ve completely reinstalled my blog and all the plug-ins and it’s running much faster with a nice clean database, so it was worth the effort.

I’m still slowly cataloguing my DVD collection.  The database is all set up, but I’ve still got all the covers to scan and the details to check, but I’m going slow and steady with that one.

I spent a couple of days setting up a spreadsheet for all the household accounts.  It took the best part of two days, I’m so rusty with spreadsheets, and they were never my strong suit to begin with, but at least I can keep track of everything easily now.  Although it seems I get a lovely present of the receipts every couple of days.  I set it up and I’m expected to do it all. *sigh*

I’ve finally started my eye exercises.  I got up the other day and decided I was sick of wearing glasses, I keep having allergy reactions to the contact lens cleaners, so I figured enough was enough.  I’ve started on an exercise program from the American Vision Institute, which does seem to help.  I had a little try a couple of years ago and found my vision improved, but I never stuck with it.

I’m at the opticians for an eye test next week, so I’m determined to do all the exercises daily and see if it makes a difference.  So far so good, I’ve done it for two days and already things seem slightly less blurry.  I’m not ready to ditch the glasses just yet, but on Tuesday I couldn’t see the keyboard without my glasses, today I can.  I can also just about make out the computer screen, so I’m nicely on track

I want to start on an exercise program too, I’ve had the CFS for over 11 years now, but I’ve never felt quite as sickly and unhealthy as I have the past few months.

I know bad joints and no energy is a valid excuse, but I’ve just never been much of an exercise fanatic at the best of times.  I’ve always been on the go before, so I’ve never really needed to “keep-fit”, but I just can’t really be bothered with all that grunting, panting and sweating which seems to go hand-in-hand with exercise.

Still I’m keeping that as the next big “to-do” on my list.  The more gentle things like Pilates, Yoga and the likes appeal to me, so I’ve just got to set up my pilates machine and get into the habit of using it.

It’s strange, I do so little, yet never seem to have any spare time because I have no schedule of any kind, yet people who work full time and have children still seem to manage to get so many other things done, it’s quite shameful really.

I gave in and cut my hair yesterday too, I figured since my scalp is still flaking there’s no point in waiting to see if it’s cleared up by next week to get a haircut, so I just did it myself with the clippers again.  It looks OK, if a bit short, but it saved me £20, sit it’s not all bad

And tomorrow I need to get caught up on all my journal reading, I’ve been getting behind on everyone’s blogs lately too.

At least this new twitter thing is helping me keep track of the little things that are worth mentioning.

1. How do you dispose of it if it’s too thick to pour down the drain but too runny to put in the bin
2. What are you supposed to eat now?

Needless to say we went for the pouring down the sink option for issue 1, only to block all the drains.  All these years and we’ve never had a blocked drain.  We actually had to go out and buy a plunger to clear it.

I’m trying to get back on my diet and get off all the chocolate and back to healthy food and more fruit and vegetables.

I’m also trying to dig out my exercise machine.

It’s been six years since my last CFS relapse and I’m getting more than a little stir-crazy.  The past month is the first time I’ve actually felt unhealthy though, so it’s time for a change.

First thing I’ve done is sign up to twitter.

I’ve been getting out of the habit of blogging, mostly because I can’t see the justification for writing a blog for a since sentence thought.  Twitter gives the the opportunity to post them and I’ve got my blog set to do a daily digest, plus they show up in a neat little widget on the sidebar, which is even better.

It’s strange, it’s actually kind of fun, it gives me a new outlet for those stray thoughts that pop up throughout the day, plus the fact I can text them in means I get to use my phone for a change.  I never really text, in the 6 months I’ve had my latest handset I’ve sent 4 text messages, which is slightly shocking in this day and age. 

Anyone wanting to subscribe to inane (and very short) ramblings, the link is http://www.twitter.com/rennie_le_smurf the digest will show up in the rss feed here on my blog, so I’m not going to bother to copy and post over at reezle or myspace, it’s just too much work, it takes long enough having to do that when I’m posting a proper blog!

I’ve “followed” a couple of twitters, just to get the hang of it, but if anyone else has it, give me a “nudge” or a “tweet” or whatever it is they call it over there.

My next plan is to get my room tidied so I can set up my Pilate’s exercise machine, it’s great exercise but doesn’t seem to affect my joints, but it is pretty big when it’s set up, so I need all the floor clear to use it.

Still, I should be able to get that done over the next week and then get to work.

After that once I’ve got food and exercise sorted, I need to dig out my web design and writing courses so I can make a start on them, then maybe I can actually fill my days with something other than TV and computer games (it’s amazing how fast they get old!) and it might even let me start earning some money, which would be nice!

I really thought she was going to be OK, but I guess their little bodies can only take so much before they just can’t recover. 

I’ve had a fairly hectic week this week, I looked out the other day and noticed this little Hedgehog paddling across the garden in the middle of the afternoon.  Since they’re nocturnal creatures it was a little surprising to see it out and about at lunch time.

Even more surprising was seeing it again at the same time the following day.  Only this time I was already at the window, so I got to see it trundle out from one of the bushes, wander over to the water dish, have a drink and then trundle back under the bushes.  Poor little thing was so short it could only just manage to reach the water.

I didn’t see it on Wednesday, but we had people in the neighbours garden most of the afternoon which probably scared it.  Someone had come from the Estate Agents to cut down the ivy on the back fence so it can be replaced, which on the one hand was good because that ivy has been the only thing keeping their fence up for near 20 years, but the problem is, that ivy is also covering an old apple tree and has been home to various birds for a similar length of time.  (Photos of it last year are here)

Anyway, I think they may have gotten a little over excited as they cut out the great chunks of the ivy, and then hacked up the trunk of the apple tree.  The whole thing has sunk by a good metre or more without the additional support of the ivy.

Fortunately the birds are still nesting in it, so I’m assuming that means it’s sturdy and stable, at least for now.

Anyway, our little visitor reappeared right on time Thursday lunch time, only this time it just flopped in the sun.  I’d like to think it was sun bathing, but given their nocturnal-ness I doubted it.  I managed to collect it and put it in a shoebox so we could take it to the vets.

The vet had a look and said it was quite dehydrated, but other than that it was a very healthy male.  They kept it in over night to give it fluids and make sure it was eating, then I had to go back and collect it on Friday to release it back in the garden.

Friday came and no word from the vet (doesn’t anybody ever actually call back themselves rather than making me have to ring them?)

I gave them a call and they said it had been eating and was up and about and eager to go home.  Can’t say I blame it, I hate going to the vets and they’re not even going to do anything to me!

Anyway, collection and return complete, it was time to let it out.  I’d like to say the first thing it did was go and get a drink from the dish, but technically that was the second, since it couldn’t resist the opportunity to try and bite my finger as I helped it out the box.  I know vet’s aren’t the nicest of places to be taken, but honestly, there’s just no gratitude any more!  So that done, it then went for a drink.

Now I thought it would have ran off as soon as we let it go, but as you can probably tell from the face in the photo above, I think it’s quite a nosey little thing and clearly not in the lest bit bothered by us, so next stop was a trip into the bird house to pick up some snack foods.  It’s so little I didn’t really think it would be able to climb in on its own, but it managed no problem.

Then it went for a little rummage around in the grass and dug out a couple of worms to eat, although first it had to sneak up behind me when I turned around.  First thing I realise is a cold nose creeping up the back of my trouser leg and sharp teeth trying to bite the back of my ankle.

I noticed it seemed to be getting a little groggy after the first few worms (it makes me think of a little panda with those cute little ears), but initially I put that down to the fact it had been up the best part of two days.  But as I watched it was getting more and more unsteady on its feet and kept wandering aimlessly into the neighbours garden.

In the end I called another vet (the one I’d been to was closed by then) and they told gave me the number of a Hedgehog Rescue Centre, it turns out there’s a lady 5 minutes drive away who rescues and nurses Hedgehogs.

She confirmed what I suspected, it was more than just tiredness and we needed to take it straight around.

It says a lot about the vets who told us we had a dehydrated but otherwise perfectly healthy male Hedgehog, since it turns out we actually had a very dehydrated and undernourished female Hedgehog, one who was so underweight it was a wonder she had made it through the winter.

She also pointed out that the vets should know it can take up to a week to rehydrate an animal, not just overnight.

So we left her there, curled up in a blanket under a heat lamp to get her temperature back up, and after we had gone she was going to be getting a hot water bottle to lie on, another injection to rehydrate her and hand fed cat food.

We got a call last night to say it was still early days, but after a few hours of heat lamp, injection and being tube fed with a sugar solution, she’d made her first break-out attempt.

Somehow she had managed to climb up the pet and push the lid off, so they’ve had to put the heat lamp on the lid to weight it down and keep her in place, so I’d say she’s not going to be giving up without a fight, which is always a good quality to have in a sickly animal.

As the title suggests, I’ve been in a bit of a funk lately, I’ve just had nothing worth writing about, and hardly surprising when I’ve been spending my days just passing the time until I could go back to bed.

On the plus side, I’ve been watching (and singing along to) the Chipmunks movie more often than is healthy!

So, what’s been happening here…

Well, My skin allergy has just about cleared up, and I’m about 2 weeks past the first anniversary of taking those rotten antibiotics that set it off in teh first place.  Never again, I don’t care if I’ve got a rampant case of rot, I’m not taking antibiotics again, it’s just not worth the risk…

Or the expense, I’ve been using Chinese Herbs to treat the rash, and whilst they’re not working as fast on me as they’re supposed to, they are working, and the couple of times I stopped them the rash got worse, but at £35 per week…

So like I said, no more antibiotics for this fraggle!

Anyway… Hmm… The virus I had back in January didn’t last much past my last entry, which was good news.

What else…

Oh, I got myself a shiny new digital camera, which is great, my old camera was 6 mega-pixels, and (as I discovered) only had a 5-times zoom, which explains why so many of my photos weren’t as good as expected them to be.

I was in two minds between another FujiFilm camera, or a Canon SLR.  In the end I opted for the Fujifilm, they have great colour reproduction, good quality build and lenses, and a nice range of automatic settings.

Plus the Canon SLR was going to be double the price and pretty much the same again to get a decent lens for it.

So far, so good and I’m thrilled with my new toy.  I’ll post some pictures in a day or two once I get my computer working again.

Which leads nicely into the only other thing that’s been happening in the past three months, the computer.

For some reason a security update a month or so back did funny things to the graphics drivers and my computer just hasn’t been quite the same since.  I’ve tried various fixes and patches, and even recovered to backups from late last year, but I still can’t quite get the graphics right for the power needed to computer game, or the exacting level of detail requirted for photo editing.

I’ve now given in and am going for a full reinstall, I thing I’ve rarely had to do since moving to Linux (and when I have it’s been because I’ve broken something and not been able to work out how to fix it).  I’m sitting writing on my little netbook (another very worthwhile purchase) while it finishes installing.  Then I can get my photo editing done and post some photos.

Now I have all my portable super-duper kit, I just need to actually leave the house and go somewhere to use it all